Compromise
by Xinthos
Summary: Ino discovers that change isn't always a bad thing.


**A/N:** It's been a long while since I've tried writing something for Naruto... Anyway, I wasn't trying really hard to make this laugh-out-loud funny (though if I make you laugh that's great). It's purpose is more to just entertain... you know: A good way to pass five or ten minutes. At any rate I hope it's not too bad- I was experimenting a bit. Oh yean, and before I forget, I'm _not trying to offend blond haired people._ I actually like blond :)

**Summary:** Ino discovers that change isn't _always_ bad.

* * *

**Compromise**

When Ino first saw Sakura on that early Monday morning on the busy Konoha streets, she swears that her heart stopped.

She had been away on a long A-class mission in the Waterfall country and returned only the day before, glad to be back to the comforts of her home town. The streets were still busy as always, the same vendors in the same old places, her same old friends still doing the same old things. It was nice, really, to be back in routine after all that reconnaissance and poisoning and stabbing and... well, we won't get into all that messy stuff. Ino was leaving the apartment complex she moved into after living with her parents got too restricting and awkward-

("Welcome home, honey! Are you okay? Still alive I see; everything seems to be in place, all your limbs attached..."

"Yeah, but I'm still a little sore- I had to seduce this guy to get access into a restricted government building."

"You don't say? Well, I hope it went well."

"It sure did! I only had to disembowel, like, six people this time!")

-and actually almost smiled at the annoying, high pitched screams of the lady who lived across the street and never stopped complaining. It wasn't the most pleasant noise, but it was a familiar one none-the-less. With a bounce in her step Ino walked right on past everybody and everything, smiling for real this time, because she was one her way to see the person she'd missed the most: her girlfriend. Two weeks away from Sakura was much, _much_ too long for her liking, though they were often away from each other for even longer periods of time considering their very busy lifestyles. Banishing any thoughts of how little time they'd spent together the past few weeks she instead focused on recreating the image of Sakura in her head. Boring, predictable old Sakura she often joked; with the same outfit and always wearing her headband in the same way, with no make-up and no jewelry to boot. But in reality Ino appreciated Sakura's unfailing "squareness," because for every ounce it was dull it was also warm and satisfying. Besides, in Ino's opinion Sakura looked plenty fine just the way she was.

What she missed most about Sakura, though- looks wise at least- was her hair. For some odd reason she always adored Sakura's hair. It had become her favorite shade of pink, if not her favorite color altogether, and every time they were with each other she always came up with some sneaky- or sometimes not so sneaky- way to touch it. It was as soft as it looked, and it was always straight and thick and down to her shoulders in the same way Sakura always wore it. And, if you got really close to her in a way that only Ino was allowed to do, you'd find absolute, undeniable proof that Sakura's hair was naturally pink.

And that's why, when Ino saw Sakura for the first time in two weeks, she was understandably upset.

"What the fuck happened to _you_?"

"What? You don't like it?"

"You died your hair." And indeed, Sakura had, in fact, dyed her hair. Her once silky, cotton candy-colored hair was no more. But no, as if that wasn't enough, she had dyed it, in Ino's opinion, the most hideous color in the world. Like destroying the wonderfully beautiful color of Sakura's (and therefore Ino's) hair wasn't blasphemy by itself, Sakura dyed it _blond_ of all colors.

"And you don't like it...?"

"No, I don't like it!" Ino yelled in her typically blunt way. "Blond is the _worst_ color! It's so _unflattering _and typical and people always expect you to be some big-chested _bimbo!_"

"I like blond," Sakura said, crossing her arms defiantly. "It's pretty and elegant and feminine. Besides, pink is so loud and weird, and everybody thinks that you dye your hair even when you tell them you don't."

"But blond is so _boring_," Ino said a little desperately, "And pink is so exotic!"

"Ino, you _do_ realize that you're blond, don't you?" Sakura asked, a smirk on her face.

"Sakura, you do realize your name is _Sakura_, don't you?" Ino teased back. Sakura made a non-commitent sound.

"Besides, who said I like being blond?" Ino asked, mirroring her girlfriend's cross-armed pose.

"So then don't be."

And that's how one hour, fifteen dollars, and one completely stained bathroom courtesy of two inexperienced hair stylists later, Ino had pink hair.

Though they never _did_ agree on which color was better.

* * *

**A/N: **Reviews are appreciated 


End file.
